Numerous self-propelled robots for cleaning or processing floor areas are known and are commercially available. In principle, the most complete possible processing of the floor area in the shortest possible time is to be achieved. In the case of simple systems, random navigation methods are used (for example, EP 2287697 A2 from iRobot Corp.), which manage without preparing or using a map of the environment, in which the floor area to be processed is located. This means that no location information with respect to obstructions, floor area boundaries, cleaned/non-cleaned regions, etc., is used. In combination with local movement strategies, the travel direction is merely (randomly) changed in the event of a collision with an obstruction. Thus, for example, repeated cleaning of floor areas is accepted, without guaranteeing (in finite time) a complete cleaning of the floor area.
More complicated systems prepare a map of the environment for targeted path planning and targeted cleaning of the floor area by means of a SLAM algorithm (SLAM: “simultaneous localization and mapping”). In this case, a map and the position of the robot in the map are ascertained by means of sensors, for example, laser range scanners, triangulation by means of camera and laser, contact sensors, odometric sensors, acceleration sensors, etc. In newer cleaning robots, which use such a SLAM module, the prepared map is non-permanent, i.e., a new map is prepared for each new cleaning operation (i.e., after completion of a preceding cleaning operation). In such systems, no map-based items of information are usually communicated to the user (for example, what was cleaned in which manner), and the user has no influence on the internal use of the map (for example, on a division of the floor area into regions to be processed and regions not to be processed).
In contrast to non-permanent maps, the use of permanently stored maps enables more efficient processing operations, since repeated exploration of the environment is not necessary. A processing operation can therefore be calculated beforehand. In this case, additional map-based items of information can be ascertained and reused (for example, problem regions, strongly soiled regions, etc.). For example, in EP 1 967 116 A1 the degree of soiling of a floor area is ascertained and stored in the map to adapt the processing intensity (for example, duration, frequency, etc.) accordingly during following processing cycles. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,667,592 B2 from Intellibot, for example, a stored/permanent map is used to assign (possibly different) functions (for example, vacuuming, wiping) to individual partial regions of a map, which can then be executed autonomously by a cleaning device. In US 2009/0182464 A1 from Samsung, the available map is divided into partial regions, which are subsequently cleaned sequentially.
However, the given circumstances in the region to be cleaned are frequently variable from one cleaning operation to the next. Thus, for example, persons or unknown objects (for example, shoes or bags) can be located in the region to be cleaned or furniture can be adjusted. This makes it difficult for the robot to carry out the processing completely autonomously. For this reason, an interaction between user and robot is provided in many systems. It is helpful in this case if the robot requests aid from the user in a targeted manner, for example, when it detects changed circumstances.
A cleaning system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,884 A, which represents the expansion of a computer. The computer manages a permanent map which it can update. The map is used as a basis for the cleaning. The computer represents an interface to the user, by means of which messages about possible obstructions can be output.
Methods are also known by means of which regions which are not accessible during a processing operation are omitted and can be made up at a later point in time in the same processing operation or in a subsequent processing operation. Such a method is described, for example, in WO 03/014852 A1.
A robot is described in US 2010/0313364 A1, which can clean regions, which it has possibly not processed during a processing trip, later in a post-processing trip.
A method is described in US 2011/0264305, in which a cleaning robot transmits a map about the region to be cleaned to an external device and in this manner allows for an interaction with the user.
However, the user typically either has no influence on the behavior of the robot in the event of eventual irregularities or non-accessible regions, for example, in the case of robot systems which operate entirely without maps or only with temporary maps, or the user must specify to the robot for each established irregularity how it is to proceed further.
Excessively frequent interaction or repeated interaction for the same problem is frequently perceived as annoying by the user. Too little interaction or a lack of interaction, in contrast, is frequently interpreted as a low intelligence of the robot.
The present disclosure provides an autonomous robot, which adapts the interaction to the needs and desires of the user and to the area of responsibility of the robot.